Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a charming city that happens to have the largest car-free zone in the European Union.
A visit to this unique city should not mean just ticking off and taking selfies of the must-see tourist spots, but to wander through the streets and alleys in between stately buildings.
As soon as we stepped onto Preseren Square in Ljubljana’s city centre, we were mesmerised. The place does not feel imposing, rather it lets you gently take in its surroundings and atmosphere.
We were there at the end of the year and there was a huge pine tree fully decked with Christmas lights. Along the Ljubljanica river, trees draped with snow and lights exuded a magical atmosphere.
In the middle of Preseren Square was a statue of Slovenia’s national poet, France Preseren. This statue caused a minor uproar when it was unveiled in 1905 because of a topless sculpture of a muse sitting on a rock behind him.
Worshippers coming out from the nearby Franciscan Church of the Annunciation could see the muse and did not like that. After much debate, a full-grown tree was replanted at the front left side of the church, blocking sight of the statue.
Unfortunately for Preseren, a bust of the woman he loved but who did not love him back faces his statue from across the square.
The Triple Bridge on Preseren Square stretches across the Ljubljanica river. This was was initially a single bridge, but in 1932 Joze Plecnik added two more to make way for increased traffic.
Plecnik was ahead of his time as the three bridges were built to cater separately for cars, pedestrians and bicycles.
There are three other bridges around and visitors can go on tours to check out all six of them. There’s one called the Dragon Bridge, where you will see four large dragon statues and 16 smaller ones. Local legend has it that once upon a time, a dragon guarded the river but was killed by another mythical cerature.
Kljucavnicarska Ulica or Locksmith Street is an alley with 700 bronze casts of expressive human faces along it.
From Congress Square you can see Ljubljana Castle that sits at the top of a hill. At night the place is all beautifully lit up.
The square itself has a number of charming buildings around. Nearby is Zvezda Park, a nice spot with lots of tall trees and greenery, making it perfect for chilling out.
Ljubljana Castle overlooks the city and beyond. You can either walk to the castle or go by funicular – we chose to trudge up the snow-covered paths and through the woods to get there.
Check out the museum at the castle where cultural and historical artefacts are displayed. We also visited the Botanical Gardens, the Gradascica and Lake Bled, a scenic lake that’s two hours from the city centre by bus.
The only island in Slovenia is on this lake and reachable by boat. It is a small island with a museum and cafe; the building was formerly a pilgrimage church.
We walked around the lake and came across a castle and a nice wooded area. However, it was snowing heavily so we decided to head back.
Before leaving, though, we went into a cafe to try a traditional Bled cream cake, Kremsnita, a must for visitors, we were told. It was so delicious!
The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.
